Damar Hamlin is making progress. Approximately five months after collapsing during a live broadcast of Monday Night Football, the 25-year-old has returned to the field — the practice field, that is.
On Tuesday (May 23), Hamlin ran plays for the Buffalo Bills OTA (Organized Team Activities). As previously reported by REVOLT, on Jan. 2, he suffered a cardiac arrest seen by millions as his team took on the Cincinnati Bengals. After receiving CPR on the field, the safety spent an extended amount of time in hospitals recovering. For now, he is doing light individual practices. The footballer was not wearing a helmet, according to CBS Sports.
Well…despite what Sean McDermott said prior, Bills Safety Damar Hamlin was in fact out on the field practicing with the team today, participating during the individuals.
No helmet, but otherwise looking like just any other player on the roster. Amazing.@WGRZ #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/hMX0eg8I2N
— J.T. Messinger (@JTMessinger) May 23, 2023
Although Hamlin was cleared by medical professionals to play football in April, on Tuesday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott released a statement that the team was “going to continue to take it one day at a time and just support Damar in every way possible.” Earlier that day, McDermott denied his player had been on the field, but photos surfaced of Hamlin practicing a short time after.
In April, team owner Brandon Beane claimed, “They’re all in agreement, it’s not two-to-one or three-to-one or anything like that, they’re all in lockstep of what this was and that he is cleared to resume full activities just like anyone else who was coming back from an injury. He’s fully cleared. He’s here, and he is of the mindset, he’s in a great headspace, to come back and make his return.” The previous month, Hamlin did an interview with sportscaster Michael Strahan in which he discussed his plans to return to the game: “Eventually. That’s always the goal, like I said, as a competitor, you know, I’m trying to do things to keep advancing my situation. But I’m allowing that to be in God’s hands. I’m just thankful he gave me a second chance.”
Something that I never thought I would see again Damar Hamlin back on the field at Bills practice today
📸-@alexbrasky #BillsMafia | @BuiltInBuffalo_ pic.twitter.com/pBc1RBHRho
— Peter DiBiasi (@DibiasiPeter) May 23, 2023